Alfredo Astiz - Falklands War

Falklands War

Lieutenant Commander Alfredo Astiz commanded a special team of fifteen Tactical Divers Group (frogmen), dubbed los lagartos (the lizards), which carried out the first act of aggression in the Falklands War. On March 19, 1982 they landed on South Georgia, under the guise of the workers of the Argentine scrap metal dealer Constantino Davidoff. Officially they were there to scrap three derelict whaling stations at Leith Harbour which had been purchased by their employer in 1979. Instead, they dressed up in uniform and raised the Argentine flag in full view of a British Antarctic Survey party.

The next day, March 20, the local head of the British Antarctic Survey handed Astiz a note transcribed from a radio message by the Governor of the Falklands. The note told Astiz to take down his flag and leave. Astiz took down the flag but did not leave. Later that day, HMS Endurance, the Royal Navy's ice patrol ship, was dispatched from Stanley on the Falklands to Grytviken, the main British Antarctic Survey base on South Georgia, with 22 Royal Marines ordered to evict him. They arrived on March 23, hours before a number of Argentine marines landed near Grytviken. More Argentine marines turned up over the following days and there was an armed clash at Grytviken. After damaging an Argentine frigate and forcing down an Aerospatiale Puma helicopter, inflicting casualties in both cases, the Royal Marines surrendered to overwhelming force in order to avoid needless loss of life. They were quickly repatriated to the UK. Astiz, a junior officer, was not in command of this operation and neither he nor his frogmen were involved in either this or later fighting.

In spite of atrocious weather that wrecked two helicopters attempting to land SAS teams for reconnaissance, British forces successfully attacked and disabled the Argentine submarine ARA Santa Fe. The photograph of the sunken submarine in Grytviken harbour became one of the iconic images of the conflict. A hastily assembled 75-man force of Royal Marines, SAS and SBS supported by naval gunfire was helicoptered ashore and advanced upon Grytviken, forcing the capitulation of the Argentine garrison on 23 April. TV crews missed the signing of the surrender document by the Argentine commander because it occurred so rapidly after the end of the fighting, but Astiz insisted on signing a surrender document for himself and his small band even though they were covered by the surrender of his commanding officer. The face and name of Alfredo Astiz was, incorrectly, splashed over the world media as the commander of the garrison on South Georgia. This publicity led to an erroneous Rambo-like image, but soon caused problems for Astiz.

Astiz is known to have committed several war crimes during this period, notably attempting to lure Royal Navy helicopters to land on a helipad he had previously mined, after he had surrendered to British forces. The pilots were suspicious, and landed elsewhere. Astiz also attempted to encourage Royal Marines across a minefield, after he had surrendered. The mines did not function correctly, as their trigger mechanisms had been frozen solid by the sub-zero weather conditions. Astiz was never tried for these crimes.